We spent a day hiking up the side of Etna. In retrospect, it wasn’t safe – and probably not allowed. We were 30 meters from the lava that was spewing out and then cooling into rock.
We later realized that hiking Etna in the spring, is the most dangerous season because that’s when the lava can touch the snow, boil the water underneath, and create an explosion. However, it was amazing to see… once.